1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in brushless, linear motors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there is a growing commercial use of high performance, brushless linear motors in various applications. One recognized disadvantage of prior art brushless motors is the cumbersome umbilical wires that connect the moving armature (also referred to in the linear motor art as the slider) to the controller and power source. For example, the umbilical for a prior art three-phase, brushless motor has three power lines, five signal lines for the armature commutating signals, and eight signal lines for armature position signals. Another disadvantage is the need to remove heat from the moving armature. Where a coolant is used, the umbilical includes, in addition to the wires, a tube to carry the coolant to a coolant coil embedded in the armature and a tube to carry the coolant from the coil. The result is a heavy, cumbersome, umbilical of wires and tubes, festooned along the path in which the armature moves.